Two years on from the collapse of its then parent Lehman Brothers, and almost 18 months since its senior employees bought it out from the Lehman Brothers estate, Neuberger Berman has seen its assets under management rise – by $30bn since September 2008 to $180bn.

The 71-year old, US-led firm, which employs 1,600 staff across the globe to run about $85bn in equities, almost $80bn in fixed income and about $15bn in alternative investments, appears to be enjoying its independence. Joe Amato, president and chief investment officer of Neuberger Berman, told FN that autonomy is a key component of the way it runs money.